Scarfing It Down: Article Analysis

Despite all the values that the hijab is representing in different countries of the world, the only value that is demanded is the egalitarianism and justice value, whether a woman is wearing the veil or not, they are “calling for equal access to divorce, child custody, and inheritance; equal opportunities for education and employment; and abolition of

There has been debates about whether the Islamic face veil should be banned in countries. The arguments that governments of countries that have banned the Muslim face veil (France, Syria, Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium) argue that the full-face veil is oppressive, degrading towards women, and goes against values of each country. However, many Muslim women believe otherwise and strongly disagree with the banning of the veil. I strongly believe that the Islamic face veil should not be banned because it is a complete violation of religious and expressive freedom and forces them to conform to an alternative culture.

With the recent interest of the media on the topic of hijab and the oppressive symbol that it is portrayed to be, I have decided to write my paper on the hijab and what it means to various Muslim women. This topic is important and worth studying because most of the information that is relayed about the hijab by the media is not based on the opinion of Muslim women who actually wear the hijab in North America. Currently, feminists around the world have started a campaign for a “#nohijabday.” Although this movement initially began in order to speak out against the Iranian government for forcing Iranian women to don the hijab, it quickly spiraled out of control on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. This event has led to an influx

The anticipated law, whose purpose is to ban the use of the burqa and veil, finally took place in France. The ban started within school, and expanded into a restriction within the entire country. France drew international attention, questions, and opinions on the justification of this new law. Even though France’s main response to their justification of the ban is to preserve the French culture, the law also positively addresses other problems such as: religious freedom, public safety, and women’s rights.

The article Behind the Ban by Ash Garton Timothy argues in his opinion women in France should be able to make their own choice of wearing burkas even though it is unnecessary. Ash states three arguments in his article which are that burkas are a threat to public safety, criminals can be wearing burkas to cause harm, and burkas attract voter back from the xenophobic far right. Many people may think that these women fathers and husbands make them wear these to not show anything, but in reality the women feel more comfortable with them. Ash explains that a study done by the Open Society Foundation, “Report in-depth interviews with 32 women who wear the full- face veil in France. All but two say they are the first members of their family to do so, and almost all insist this was a matter of free personal choice” (Ash). Almost all the women in France say that they wear the burkas for their spiritual journey; it is their way of protesting for their sexuality. Ash states from Vivi, 39, South of France, “‘For us it’s a way of saying that we are not a piece of meat in a stall, we are not commodity’” (Ash). Getting treated like a product is something really hurtful. No matter what race you are everyone should have respect for each other. Concluding he say “Let us defend free speech against violent Islamist intimidation” (Ash). If someone is not white it does not mean that they are criminals or are capable of cause

The banning of the burqa has become an issue in many places, including France. The French Parliament has decided it is time to ban the burqa in public. They believe is a sign of the subjugation and submission of women to males. Some believe it is used to cover up abuse and they also believe it is unfair to the public that citizens cannot see the women’s faces. However it is unfair for these women to be banned from wearing what they choose as just everyone else does.The banning of the burqa should not be allowed because it is discriminatory towards Muslim women and violates their freedom of religion and their freedom to express themselves.

In the article,” comment”,Pat Lancaster, an editorial writer, argues let them discard that they should have the choice to do so but a personal one,as well as needing to uphold personal freedoms. She believes that without liberty,egality and fraternity France wouldn't be the same. She or he supports the claim by giving evidence about equality and emancipation. People culture and who they are being taken away by the government and people of the same culture supporting the ban. She follows this with reasons why they shouldn't ban the hijabs and how other ethics including muslims contribute leading european power .

The specific topic of this book is the oppression of women. Its overall purpose is to understand the women behind the veils and why the Muslim women take up the hijab. The purpose is also to show how

Over the years many scholars have argued on the interpretation of the Qur’an on the verses that relate to the hijab (veil). A few debated that is not fard (mandatory) and only Sunnah (choice). The majority though won and it was decided that the hijab is mandatory in Islam based on verses in the Qur’an and hadeeths said by the prophet and passed on by others. Misinterpretations can be made, although by the majority at times, and I think they made an incorrect assumption in this matter. Nowhere in the Qur’an is it stated that a woman should cover her hair.

The author, Naheed Mustafa, starts out with two points of view others have of her, a “Muslim terrorist” or an oppressed woman (Mustafa 1). However, with these two points of view, Mustafa is suggesting that people only view her in these two ways because in their eyes a Muslim woman cannot be more. Then she introduces the hijab, a scarf which covers her neck, head, and throat, but explains that young Muslim women like her are “reinterpreting” the purpose of the hijab: give women absolute control over their bodies. According to Mustafa, the hijab does not only give women absolute control but freedom. Yet, others do not understand this concept or why a young woman who was born in a land that is free and full of opportunities like North America

The most significant issue with these laws banning religious symbols and head coverings in public is that they force Muslim women to become secluded in French society. As a result of the 2011 law, Muslim women cannot go out in public while they wear hijabs, niqabs, or burqas. Author Melanie Adrian explains that Muslim women must choose between their religion or retaining the right to go out in public without being punished. She states that these laws targeting French Muslim women “has compromised their ability to live authentically as contributing members of society.” Many women who refuse to remove their niqabs and burqas have made the decision to work from home in order to avoid going out in public. However, other Muslim women have organized

Muslim women should not try to hide themselves from discrimination by not wearing their headscarves. I believe that they should be passionate about their religion and race. In the passage about Malala, it states that she will not give up her goal of women acquiring an equal education to men, no matter what other’s reactions are. Muslim women need to do the same as Malala and stand up for themselves. I don’t believe in discrimination against Muslim women at all. People should definitely not be harassing others because of their race, religion, or beliefs. In the passage about Muslim women, it states that they were attacked physically and mentally by words. This is atrocious. America needs to fix this problem now. All in all, Muslim women should

Looking at the arguments presented by these scholars, it now seems clear that the Quran is being misinterpreted in a way that is oppressive towards women. The question now is, what is causing the oppression of women in the Middle East? Some scholars have argued that the oppression of women in modern middle eastern societies has been due to the presence of Islamism, a movement that has been gaining ground since the Islamic Resurgence of the 1970s. This is something that Leila Ahmed agrees with in her book A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence, from the Middle East to America when she mentions this in the context of the veil. She says that many people in America and Europe during the 1990s assumed that the hijab was just a practice of being

Therefore, equality activists should use this argument to fight for the rights of Muslim women both in western countries and in the Muslim countries. Putting on a hijab should not be a symbol of liberation or oppression. Muslim women should be allowed to choose what to wear, because they have equal rights like any other person from any religious group. Donning the hijab should be a choice and not obligatory as many Muslim countries have made it appear to Muslim

The hijab used as a symbol of the Muslim culture is just one characteristic of how it can be perceived; the hijab is also a sign of life, safety and personal identity (Tabassum, 2006, p. 37). Tabassum (2006) interviews an individual by the name of Raheelah who identifies the hijab as not just a piece of clothing that covers a Muslim women’s face, but also as a portrayal of themselves as a person (p. 37).